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As the Elkhart Truth celebrates its 125th anniversary, we look back at this front page from June 6, 1944.

Truth Staff

Posted on June 8, 2014 at 6:25 a.m.

June 6, 1944: Allied troops invade France for D-Day attack

World War II’s D-Day invasion took over The Truth’s front-page news on this day, as Allied troops invaded France in the morning. A small map of Europe pictured the paths of attack under the large headline: “Allied Invaders plunge nine miles into France.”

News compiled from the Associated Press all over the globe told the story of the attacks. More than 4,000 Allied ships and thousands of landing craft under the protection of 11,000 bombers and fighters landed on a 100-mile stretch of coast near Normandy, France, early in the day and had seized a crucial foothold by evening. The AP reported that German opposition was lighter than expected, though that didn’t make the assault any less intense for the soldiers on the ground.

In Elkhart, the Truth’s local coverage reported that area churches tolled their bells as early as 3 a.m. to call congregations to pray for the success of the Allied landings as they began. Several hundred people flocked to St. Vincent De Paul Church between 4 and 9 a.m. President Roosevelt also addressed the nation in prayer for victory.

Also on this day, Raymond Pike, the director of Indiana Economic Council, encouraged Elkhart to prepare its post-war plans and blueprints for the reconversion period. There would be unemployment after the war, he stated, and only communities which had blueprints for immediate work would be helped.